They had made their way out of the Pines, the talk of family ties dying as they regained their focus on the task at hand. Absinth was taking an opportunity to explore a tad bit, veering off from her companion as they trekked through the ancient river bed. She was intrigued by the pristine white stone below her paws, the gold holding her attention the most. Perhaps it had been the company she had that left her guard lowered, or perhaps the creature had simply been far too adept at ambush.

It happened suddenly. A wild, yowling noise- Absinth whipping her head upwards above her; only to see a tan blur fall on her. Immediately claws gripped her, sinking into her back and shoulders; and then came the teeth. They struck true, clamping down onto the back of her neck; attempting to kill in the way felines did easily. Absinth had no time to react, her own yelp of pain rang sharp in the air. The fucking thing had dropped from a cliff onto her! She couldn’t hold herself up with its weight bearing down on her, so she fell in a heap; the mountain lion atop her like it had already won; tail lashing in predatory delight.

Though, Absinth wasn’t the type to go down without a fight. At this moment she had forgotten Aresenn, so she began to struggle like a mad woman; vicious snarls escaping her as she snapped at the beast's closest appendage- which was one of the paws sunken into her shoulder. She sank her fangs in deep, eliciting a pained cry from the cat- but it did little to make it release her. Instead it applied more pressure to its bite. Absinth growled- no, screamed now in agony.

wormwood

After the pine trees began to thin and ultimately disappear, the territory opened up into a large stoney valley. Patches of snow still lingered here and there, but it seemed that maybe even the white rock was able to retain enough heat to keep them somewhat clear. The valley was silent for the most part, except for the casual sound of movement coming from himself- and from Absinth a short distance away. Out of sight, hidden on a different elevation, but still close enough to be heard. Squinting against the afternoon sun, he couldn't help but marvel at the appeal of the terrain. It was as if nature had been stripped down to its most essential element: rock and sky, with a trace of gold painted intermittently through the valley.

As he walked, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Perhaps it was merely the silence. Or perhaps it was something else entirely. Aresenn couldn't quite shake off the feeling that the world around him was holding its breath. He looked around casually, but his posture was tense. Even more so when he heard a sudden scream. Immediately lowering his body and tensing his posture, he couldn’t immediately tell what had been the source. But Absinth’s echoing cry was all the information he needed to know. Aresenn propelled himself forward, and up the rocky slope where he believed the girl to be. As soon as he cleared the edge of a shelf, he saw her there under the large feline form of a mountain lion with it’s fangs rooted in the back of her neck, claws pinned in her shoulder. Lunging forward with a snarling roar of his own, he made his own advance.

The cougar must have been too distracted in its own fight to notice the presence of another predator. Aresenn lunged for the back of its neck. Shaking furiously and pulling it away to dislodge its hold from Absinth. When the lion’s grip fell away, it shrieked in a way that could only be described as cat-like. Though, he didn't need to be a cat to understand the clear expression of annoyance, frustration, and pain. He fought to hold his grip, but as it fought to round on him, it was nearly all he could do to evade the claws that struck out at him from an awkward angle.  

"Aresenn Praetor"

The searing pain at the back of her neck grew stronger and stronger, Absinth was unable to hear anything past the growling- the visceral noises that escaped her own jaws. Her tongue was wet with the cat’s blood, but she could not maintain her latch on it after her scream. She wasn’t able to hear Aresenn’s approach, but she did feel the instant relief of being released from her attacker's hold. She gasped, taking a moment- which was all she needed to regain her bearings; her muscles beginning to fill again with the strength she’d lost. Turning, she grinned at the sight of Aresenn grappling to hold the cougar he’d just pulled off of her.

“You fucking bitch!” Absinth roared, her entire face bearing only fury and spite- she lunged for the cat as it rounded on Aresenn. Oh no you don’t! Jaws snapping, she aimed to grab hold of the cat’s throat; to trap it between the two of them. To make it suffer. Sure, it wasn’t the most well-thought out plan, and she would surely take many swipes from it’s claws doing so… but she was fucking pissed, and it couldn’t last long without air at this rate. She wanted it to lose its strength, just as it had attempted to do to her. Her goal was to weaken it before she made it truly pay for it's ambush.

wormwood

Aresenn felt his grip slipping on the cougar as it frantically sought to free itself from his grasp and rake him with its claws. He came to the realization that he may very well lose control of the situation when he suddenly felt Absinth's power impact the lion, shaking through its body, and reverberating into him. Given the angle she chose to come at them, the cougar had plenty of chance to wrap its razor-sharp claws around her- which made him cringe among its flailing. But Aresenn exploited the distraction and put every ounce of strength into forcing the cat down to the ground, pitting his might against the silent killer until he and Absinth managed to subdue it.

Absinth must have gotten a pretty solid purchase in their now victim's throat. By instilling a death grip, she nearly crushed it into submission all on her own. For as they held it still, it became noticeably weaker with each beat of its frightened heart amidst the struggle for its life. As to what happened next, he would let Absinth decide.

"Aresenn Praetor"

Absinth could feel the stinging of claws catching her hide as the cougar struggled, but her jaws remained locked in a deadly grip around its throat despite it. She didn’t care if she was taking some damage, it was all worth it. She’s proven time and time again her will was strong, the cat would not be out matching her in that aspect. As Aresenn forced it down with brute strength, Absinth used her own body weight to assist him from her own angle. The impressive show of force from both parties upon their prey would have been a sight to behold had any soul been witness to it.

As the beast grew weaker and weaker due to its slow suffocation, Absinth’s bloodlust only grew stronger. Still she held fast, the sensation of a heart beat struggling to cope with the lack of oxygen could be felt through her jaws and tongue. When the limbs began to twitch, and the noises dissolved into sporadic gurgles, did Absinth let go… Her fores now more than enough to hold the half-dead limp cat down. Whether Aresenn let go or not by this point, Absinth’s vision was tunneling so she was unaware. Emeralds blazing anger and satisfaction down at her would-be attacker. She loathed the thing for making her into its prey, however short a time it had been.

She giggled. A wicked sound that abruptly cut off into a piercing snarl, her teeth coming down on the recovering cougar face- and in one swift grotesque motion she tore its nose away. The cats now open nasal passage in full view, spurting blood onto the ground and shocking the beast to wakefulness. Though it would not last long. Confusion assaulted the creature as it struggled to find its feet, blood pouring backwards down into its throat and choking it as it tried to breathe- it was a horrific sight. One Absinth laughed at for a time, until the comedy wore out and she chose to end its suffering. “I’m gonna take those noises as begging for death.” She purred, swiftly wrapping her jaws around its throat again- and roughly snapping the weak windpipe.

wormwood

Once the lion had succumbed to its fate on the ground, there was very little fight left to be had. It had nearly come to a deadly silent stillness altogether- there was no need for him to be her anchor. Aresenn released his hold and left the kill to the individual who deserved it. Breathing heavily, the brute gave her space, coming to settle on the ground a short distance away in the event that his assistance was needed once again. As he took stock of the injuries he had sustained- just a few scratches here and there- his attention shifted to the gurgling noises just a few strides away when it was echoed by the girl’s cackling. Blinking silently, he witnessed Absinth hooked her teeth in the cat’s face and tore a piece away- he didn’t see the damage she had caused, just the bloodied flesh that she had stolen. Though the smell of blood was overwhelming. It seemed to hang in the air as it hemorrhaged out the animal's freshly made wounds. All at once, it was intoxicating. Arousing.

The unfortunate beast struggled to stand up- a grotesque sight to behold. A look of terror shadowed in death, what remained of its face covered in its own blood. Even still, he tensed up in order to intercept an attack should there be one. But of course, it never came. Absinth cooed a reassurance of death to her victim, and in doing so, delivered the killing blow to the cat's previously crushed trachea- a ragged mess as the blood had already begun to pool.

The eyrie silence that ensued was deafening. The cure to death itself. But he wouldn’t allow for extended rest before speaking. “How bad is it?” He asked with a serious edge to his voice. The vision of the cougar pinning her to the ground from above flashed to the forefront of his mind. It was difficult enough having to resist going to look for himself. But even he knew better than to rush at someone who had just experienced fighting for their life- if only for a brief moment. 

"Aresenn Praetor"

Absinth dropped her prey into a puddle of its own blood, the wet sound making a thwack sound and splattering her chest in cat blood. She stared down at the scene, where the roles could have been reversed- all because she had forgotten to be self aware. It was a touch humiliating, in a sense. But she wasn’t going to hold it against herself for too long- after all, cats were masters of ambushing and no other creature did it better. Anyways. She was the survivor in the end, thanks to her helpful friend. She had begun to feel her adrenaline ebb away, making room for the pain of her injuries to begin radiating in.

‘How bad is it?’ One ear flicked as his voice rang out, something like concern within his pitch that pulled at her attention greatly. She slowly turned around, emeralds alight even still with exhilaration from the bloodshed. Absinth’s chin dripped thick crimson as she drew closer to him, beginning to take inventory of her injuries. “Back of my neck hurts the worst. Bastard had his hooks in my shoulders and my back. And he snagged me a few times on the chest.” She winced as she tested her mobility with a few turns of her head, simultaneously looking over the wounds she was physically capable of seeing. Her neck would heal fine, but damn did it hurt. So would the lacerations on her shoulders, and chest. But she couldn’t see how her back fared. Absinth sighed in annoyance, eyes flicking to him to rove over his body in search of wounds. “Anything on you?” Her tone sharp, still irritated about the whole thing. Especially if he’d gotten hurt… Though where he had kept his distance, Absinth did not. She moved to circle him closely and give him a good once over for a few moments. Then she attempted to meet his gaze, facing him head on now. “Thank you… for pulling it off me. You saved my skin.” It was a genuine thanks. Something she didn’t do often at all. Of course, it was followed up with a coy smile curling the corners of her lips upwards. She quite liked the way he’d come so quickly to save her.

wormwood

It seemed that he had been momentarily forgotten- which was understandable considering the current state of things. However, when he prompted her with words, she slowly turned to them. The stunning allure of a murderess pained over her features. She was truly a sight to behold. Even still, he listened intently as she went on to describe the injuries she had sustained. Her neck hurt. Where the cat had snared her with its jaws. That was the one that concerned him the most. “Let me see it- the bite.” Aresenn insisted as he stood up while she moved to circle him. He flexed his own neck to get a better vantage as she moved around him- invading her space a bit, but he felt that it was necessary. The bite wasn’t too deep, the punctures were fairly neat. The slashes down her back from its claws didn’t look pretty but were more superficial. But of course, he was no healer, and it wasn’t his own personal judgment that mattered in this particular moment. Realigning his attention to the emerald gaze of hers- it always seemed to be waiting for him. In his own assessment, he had missed where she asked about his own well-being. He stared at her a moment, wondering how much she was concealing. Eventually, his expression softened- his half-sided smirk returning. “I just evened the odds. You did all the hard work.” He answered in amusement. but it only lingered for a few moments.

As he made an attempt to run through the outcomes of their current situation, he deliberated on the best course to take. “Do you need a healer? We can go back to the Sound, it’s okay.” He started, looking at her for insight on how she wanted to proceed.

"Aresenn Praetor"

Absinth mirrored his softened expression, keeping eye contact up until he began speaking of heading back to the sound. Going back would mean failure. That she was useless after a few bites and scratches. It would mean losing this time with him, and that was something she abhorred. Her feature’s immediately morphing into surprise, she quickly retorted him. “No. I am not a weak little bitch. I’ve been through worse, it only made me stronger. This is nothing, Aresenn. Really.” She made sure to get her point across with a solid look of confidence, her gaze ablaze with tenacity. She’d taken harder hits than this. She’ll probably be hurt worse than this in the future too, what was the point of turning tail and running to go lick her wounds? No. She wouldn’t have it. And she would not allow him to think she was anything less than what she was. A fucking fighter.

As she held his gaze, ready to protest if he chose to return to the sound. She took note of the sun beginning to set. “Listen, let’s just set up camp tonight and continue on tomorrow.” She wagered that if he was so worried about her injuries, then maybe this would be a good compromise. If not, she was ready to prove she was fine, by tooth and claw if need be. Absinth was a force to be reckoned with, her eyes shining brightly- furiously, as the light dimmed.

wormwood

The fire that she answered him with took him by surprise. But it shouldn’t have. He stood blinking a moment- processing before he cleared his throat to speak. “I didn’t call you a weak bitch.” Aresenn answered lowly. You don’t have to prove anything to me. But he thought that words intended as kindness might be interpreted as condescension. So he said no more on the matter, straightening himself up, and shaking some life back into his rigid posture. He looked away from her then, orienting himself as to the way they had been traveling and the direction that they had come from. Closer to the horizon, he noticed from their higher elevation the first of the towering redwood trees in the distance. As if she had read his mind, she suggested that instead, they find a place to camp for the night. Nodding in agreement, he gestured to the destination he had picked out. “Good plan. There is cover in the forest just ahead.” He answered without looking at her for confirmation. He nearly asked if she thought she could make it … or if she needed help. But he bit his tongue instead. The kind of crooning that he thought girls usually liked, felt like they would do more harm than good in this particular situation. Besides. Absinth was not merely a usual girl.

-Exit Aresenn-
"Aresenn Praetor"